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Round 16: All eyes on Group A playoff openings

Round 16: All eyes on Group A playoff openings

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Round 16: All eyes on Group A playoff openings

With 12 teams already into the 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals and four more with mathematical chances to advance, Round 16 could be a pivotal to knowing the entire list of squads that will be part of the playoffs. Here's your guide to Tuesday and Wednesday's action.

Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg

This is battle between two teams with different goals right now. Hamburg (5-10) will qualify for the playoffs with its next win, regardless of other results. The goal of already-qualified Hapoel (10-5) is to secure a top-four finish in Group B for home-court advantage in the eighthfinals. Hamburg comes off a home win after consecutive losses. Hapoel registered a road loss in Round 15, breaking a seven-game winning streak. In Round 7, Hamburg topped Hapoel 98-91. The tiebreaker won't matter, however, as these teams cannot finish in a tie at the end of this round.

Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica

In another pivotal Group B game, already-qualified Buducnost (9-6) also seeks home-court advantage in the eighthfinals while Trento (2-13) will be eliminated if it loses or if Hamburg wins. If it goes the other way around, that is, Trento wins and Hamburg loses, things open up for head coach Emanuele Molin's team because Trento visits Hamburg in Round 15 and hosts already-eliminated Slask in Round 16. Which makes Tuesday's a do-or-die game for Trento. Buducnost beat Trento at home, 73-58, in Round 7. The visitors lost their last two road games, but blasted Hamburg by 29 points away as recently as early January.

Joventut Badalona vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca

It is a critical game for both teams in Group A. Joventut (10-5) will secure home-court advantage in the eighthfinals with a victory, without looking at other results that may also favor the Spanish side if it loses. It can also secure a top-two finish in Group A if it wins while both Lietkabelis and Reyer lose, which would guarantee Joventut home-court advantage in the first two elimination rounds. Cluj (5-10) is in a do-or-die situation, as it needs to win in order to keep its qualifying options alive. Cluj would be eliminated with a win only if Bursaspor, Brescia and Ulm win, too.

Paris Basketball vs. Slask Wroclaw

Already-qualified Paris (9-6) ranks fifth in Group B, one win away from third place and two from second, so a victory on Tuesday should improve its chances to get the home-court advantage in the eighthfinals. Paris is on a three-game winning streak. Slask (1-14) is the only eliminated team in Group B, and looks to break a 19-game road losing streak dating to its last one against Kalev Cramo Tallinn on December 4, 2007, 61-79. Paris beat Slask 69-77 in Wroclaw earlier this season.

Frutti Extra Bursaspor vs. Umana Reyer Venice

It is a critical game in the fight to reach the playoffs and get the home-court advantage in the first round. Reyer (8-7) has mathematically qualified to the playoffs. Bursaspor (7-8) qualifies if Cluj loses, regardless of other scores. If Cluj wins, Bursaspor qualifies with a victory if both Ulm and Brescia win, too. If Bursaspor wins, both teams would be tied at 8-8 and getting the tiebreak advantage would become quite important. In Round 7, Reyer registered a 78-65 home win against Bursaspor.

Prometey Slobozhanske vs. Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse

Prometey (11-4) has already secured home-court advantage in the eighthfinals. It will secures first place in Group A with a victory in this game if Joventut also loses at home against Cluj. That would guarantee that Prometey hosts every playoff game until a potential championship game. The hosts have an eight-game winning streak. Bourg (8-7) also has punched its playoffs ticket and was the last team to beat Prometey, 92-85, in Round 7. Bourg is on a four-game losing streak but still has chances to fight for the home-court advantage in the next round.

ratiopharm Ulm vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana

Two high-scoring teams meet again at Ratiopharm Arena. Ulm (8-7) will qualify to the playoffs with a victory, or if Cluj loses. Ulm may have lost its last two games, but a victory on Wednesday, in addition to securing a playoffs berth, would give the German club a good chance to fight for home-court advantage in the eighthfinals. Cedevita (3-12), the only eliminated team in Group A, is looking for its third consecutive victory against Ulm. Earlier this season, Cedevita thrashed Ulm 108-78 in the Slovenian capital. Cedevita lost its last two games and looks to finish the season in style.

London Lions vs. Promitheas Patras

London (7-8) has already sealed its ticket to the next round and currently stands in seventh place, two wins ahead of eighth-ranked Hamburg and also two wins away from Promitheas (9-6), which is currently tied for fourth place. A win would give London a better chance to get out of that seventh place, avoiding one of the two top teams in Group A in its eighthfinals matchup. A win would give Promitheas a fighting chance for a top-four finish in Group B, as its next two games are against Paris and Hapoel. In Round 7, London downed Promitheas 67-77 in Patras.

Germani Brescia vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys

Brescia (7-8) may already be qualified by the time of this Wednesday tipoff if Cluj loses to Joventut on Tuesday. But if not, Brescia needs to win hope that Bursaspor defeats Reyer in order to punch its ticket to the next round. Brescia has registered three double-digit wins in its last four home games, but comes off a 26-point loss to Reyer in Venice. Lietkabelis (8-7) has already qualified to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. It has also won its last two road games, against Cluj and Cedevita. For tiebreaking purposes, Lietkabelis downed Brescia 79-70 at home in Round 7, so a victory in the rematch would settle any tiebreaks between them in favor of the Lithuanian visitors.

Gran Canaria vs. Turk Telekom Ankara

Right now, Gran Canaria (12-3) has the best record in the competition and winning its next three games would allow head coach Jaka Lakovic's team to stop traveling and host all playoffs games until it loses or lifts the trophy. In this game, Gran Canaria can clinch first place in Group B with a win if Hapoel also loses against Hamburg. Turk Telekom (11-4) needs a win to keep challenging for first place. It also secures the home-court advantage in the eighthfinals with a victory combined with a loss by either Buducnost or Paris. Gran Canaria beat Turk Telekom 81-88 in Round 7.